Writing politics – ideology and propaganda

What role does writing play in politics? Do we care about intellectuals penning long form essays about the future of the state or about official policy documents setting out frames and ideas for how to approach political issues? Historically the answer has been a very clear 'yes!'. The role writing played in the shaping of… Continue reading Writing politics – ideology and propaganda

Measures and causes of centralization of the Internet

Here is a narrative about the Internet that is getting more and more common: It certainly seems that the Internet is now the realm of a small number of enterprises that dominate this space. This is no longer a diverse, vibrant environment where new entrants compete on equal terms with incumbents, where the pace of… Continue reading Measures and causes of centralization of the Internet

Intolerance and polarization as survival strategies

A recent study in PNAS suggests that we can at least start thinking about that through inversion - the study of what intolerance is. By looking at the areas of the brain that activate during polarized responses etc a group of researchers are now arguing that intolerance is strongly correlated with a need for certainty.… Continue reading Intolerance and polarization as survival strategies

The grammar of happiness: a turn towards everyday life?

A culture is guided by its concept of happiness, and how that is located in the overall grammar of human existence - and our society is one that is focused on living a happy life. A result of that is that we often ask ourselves if we are happy - whether consciously or not. We… Continue reading The grammar of happiness: a turn towards everyday life?

What is the optimal degree of separation in a society?

Almost everyone has heard about the notion of "six degrees of separation" - that there are six jumps between any two persons in, say, the US. The experiment or game actually originates in a short story by Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy, The Chain, where the object of the game was to connect two random individuals.… Continue reading What is the optimal degree of separation in a society?

Deterrence and memory – is it dangerous to forget nuclear weapons?

Economist Thomas Schelling made an important observation in his Nobel prize talk in 2005 when he said: "The most spectacular event of the past half century is one that did not occur.We have enjoyed sixty years without nuclear weapons exploded in anger."Thomas Schelling Nobel Prize Talk. This observation is no less true today, but we… Continue reading Deterrence and memory – is it dangerous to forget nuclear weapons?